4 SOCIOECONOMIC TRENDS
Demographic information is the foundation of transportation planning
efforts. Understanding demographic changes and trends help decisionmakers identify future needs and set priorities. This chapter outlines
the past and future trends in population, household, and employment
data the three most important factors that influence trip generation.
Analysis is provided on a regional level and is concentrated on the
Boston urban core and the southeastern Massachusetts communities
because they generate most of the commuter traffic through the
Braintree split during the peak travel periods.
4.1 POPULATION
In this section, population forecasts and historical trends are discussed.
Population data and forecasts by MAPC and the Southeastern
Regional Planning and Economic Development District (SRPEDD)
are presented in Figures B-1 and B-2 in Appendix B. The population
forecasts take into consideration future natural population increases
and future migration.
Overall, between 1990 and 2000, the southeastern Massachusetts
communities grew faster in population than communities in the Boston
urban core. In most of the southeastern communities outside the urban
core, population growth ranged from 11 to 20 percent. However,
during the same period, the growth in population for communities in
the Boston urban core was 3 percent.
Population forecasts depict similar trends. As Figure B-2 shows, over
the 2000–2025 period, the populations in southeastern Massachusetts
communities are expected to grow faster than communities in the
Boston urban core. However, the rate of growth is expected to be
moderate compared to that of the 1990s. To allow for easy comparison
of the past and the future, the scale for the future demographic
forecasts is adjusted by a factor of 2.5 to reflect the 25-year span
(2000–2025) versus the 10-year span (1990–2000) historical trends.
All of the communities south of Stoughton, Holbrook, Hingham, and
Scituate are expected to grow, thereby increasing travel demands in
the region.
4.2 HOUSEHOLD
Another statistic related to population that affects travel demand is
household. As with population, the number and size of households are
important trip generation determinants, even more than population
itself. As the number of households increases and household size
decreases, trips that could have been shared by two or more people are
often made separately. In this section households are discussed in
terms of number and size. Household data from MAPC and SRPEDD
22
are presented in Figures B-3 and B-4 in Appendix B. Data used for the
household forecasts includes data from the 1990 and 2000 U.S. census.
This data includes the total number households, the number of
residents in group quarters, the total population, and forecasts of the
total population.
Between 1990 and 2000, the number of households grew faster in
southeastern Massachusetts communities than in the Boston urban
core. In addition, the growth in the number households was faster than
the growth in population. Many communities that lost population
(Figures B-1 and B-2) registered growth in the number of households;
this resulted from a general decrease in the average household size.
The increasing number of smaller households has an impact on trip
generation as well.
Household forecasts, shown in Figure B-4, depict similar trends—the
number of households will continue to grow faster than the population
through 2025 as lifestyle changes toward a smaller average household
size persist. Over this 25-year period, the number of households in
southeastern Massachusetts communities is expected to grow faster
than in communities in the Boston urban core. Unlike population, the
rate of growth of the number of households is not expected to be
moderate compared to that of the 1990s, but according to the forecasts,
it is expected to remain at the current rate of growth.
4.3 EMPLOYMENT
While population and households are trip generators, it is employment
(number of jobs) that determines the work-related trips. A component
of work-related trips is commuter trips that involve travel to work.
Commuter trips usually occur during peak travel periods and are the
source of traffic congestion on many highways that lead to downtowns
and major employment centers. In this section, employment is
discussed in terms of number of jobs, historical trends, and future
projections. The employment data used in this analysis was obtained
from MAPC and SRPEDD.
Between 1990 and 2000, communities in the Boston urban core
experienced a growth in jobs, with the heaviest concentrations of new
business establishments in Boston (46,291), Cambridge (12,347),
Somerville (3,084), and Chelsea (3,454). At the same time, the number
of jobs in the southeastern Massachusetts communities increased as
well. The majority of the new jobs were service-sector jobs that
include professional services, business, repair, entertainment,
recreation, health, and education.
Future changes in employment from 2000 to 2025 reflect trends
similar to the 1990s—that employment is expected to grow in both
the Boston urban core and in southeastern Massachusetts
communities. However, future growth is expected to be moderate
when compared to that of the 1990s. All of the communities in the
Boston urban core (Boston, Cambridge, Somerville, Chelsea, and
Everett) are expected to gain jobs over the 25-year period. All of the
southeastern Massachusetts communities south of Stoughton,
Holbrook, Hingham, and Scituate are also expected to gain jobs, but
not as many as those in the Boston urban core.
Figure B-5 and B-6 in Appendix B show the locations and
distribution of jobs in the Boston urban core and in southeastern
Massachusetts communities. As the figures show, the Boston urban
core has the largest number and concentration of jobs, which far
exceed the job figures for southeastern Massachusetts communities.
This trend persists into the future.
The net effect is that even though there is expected to be job growth in
the southeastern Massachusetts communities, the region will remain
essentially residential, relying on the Boston urban core for much of its
employment. Thus the southeastern Massachusetts region will export
more workers to the Boston urban core than it imports. This
geographical distribution of jobs and residences creates the need for
long commutes, hence the high peak-period travel demand on the
highways to and from downtown Boston via the Braintree split, and
also the high peak-period load on commuter rails service in these areas.
4.4 GROWTH IMPACTS
The growth trends (jobs, population, and household) in southeastern
Massachusetts that are fueled by the high quality of life that its
communities offer and the concentration of jobs in the Boston urban
core have contributed to an increase in commuter trips between the
two areas. They have also resulted in imbalances in the transportation
systems, causing, for example, traffic congestion on Route 3 South,
the Southeast Expressway, and the stretch of 1-93 from its
intersection with Route 24 to the Braintree split. Many of the
southeastern Massachusetts communities do not have convenient
access to transit services; hence many of their residents drive alone to
work. These trends have also resulted in high peak loads on MBTA
commuter rail and rapid transit serving this area that exceed MBTA
standards. The next chapter discusses the travel patterns of the work
trips of persons employed in the Boston urban core who reside in
southeastern Massachusetts communities.
5 TRAVEL PATTERNS
As described in the previous chapter, geographical distribution of
jobs and residences influences commuter trips. The following section
describes the travel patterns of persons employed in the Boston urban
core (Boston, Brookline, Cambridge, Chelsea, Everett, and
Somerville) who reside in southeastern Massachusetts. The source of
the data for this analysis is the Census Transportation Planning
Package 2000 (CTPP 2000). The CTPP 2000 provides accurate and
comprehensive data needed to make informed decisions. It provides
statistics of households, people, and workers and summarizes this
information by place of residence, by place of work, and for workerflows between home and work.
CTPP 2000 is a set of special tabulations, designed for transportation
planners from answers to the long-form questionnaire of the 2000
census, which is mailed to one in six U.S. households. Because of the
large sample size, the data is reliable and accurate. CTPP 2000
provides comprehensive and cost-effective data, in a standard format,
for the entire United States. Transportation planners use CTPP 2000
data to evaluate existing conditions, develop or update travel demand
models, and analyze demographic and travel trends.
The journey-to-work trip pattern is presented in Figure 14. In
subsequent figures, trips have been separated into categories: drivealone, transit, and carpool and vanpool. Transit trips consist of four
modes: commuter rail, rapid transit, bus, and ferry boat. Walk,
bicycle, taxi, and motorcycle modes were not analyzed, as they are
rarely used for commuting from southeastern Massachusetts to the
Boston urban core. The analysis of total trips in the Massachusetts
counties of Barnstable, Bristol, and Plymouth, and from the state of
Rhode Island are summarized in Table 3.
TABLE 3
Mode Share of Trips of People Employed in the Boston Urban
Core Who Reside in Southeastern Massachusetts or Rhode Island
County/
State
Barnstable
Bristol
Plymouth
Rhode Island
Persons
Employed
3,114
12,576
33,972
5,516
Drive
Alone
Transit
Carpool/
Vanpool
57%
56%
61%
47%
29%
32%
30%
37%
12%
10%
9%
13%
23
5.1 DRIVE-ALONE TRIPS
Drive-alone trips are shown in Figure 15 (page 23). As the figure
shows, less than 40 percent of the people who reside and work in the
Boston urban core drive alone to work—an indication of high transit
use in the urban core. Figure 15 also shows a high percentage of
drive-alone work trips to the Boston urban core from southeastern
Massachusetts communities. Three principal areas identified as
having high drive-alone shares are described below.
Route 24 Corridor Residents of these communities, which are
sandwiched between the Attleboro/Providence and Middleborough/
Lakeville commuter rail lines, often do not have convenient access to
either of the lines. Hence, the majority of the people residing in this
area who are employed in the Boston urban core prefer to drive alone
to work. The result of this choice is the high volume of commuter
traffic along Route 24 through the Braintree split to the Boston urban
core.
Fall River–New Bedford–Cape Cod Area The communities in this
area also generate a significant number of drive-alone work trips to
the Boston urban core. Although the Middleborough and Kingston/
Plymouth stations are options, these communities are generally
underserved by commuter rail. P&B bus line is the major transit
service in the area. Route 3 South and Route 24, both of which are
congested during peak travel periods and also feed vehicles through
the Braintree split, are the major highways used by these commuters.
South Shore Area This area consists of the communities along
Route 3A and Route 3 South between Plymouth and Braintree. It has
a substantial number drive-alone work trips to the Boston urban core.
The area is not yet served by commuter rail; however, the Greenbush
commuter rail is expected to begin service in 2006. Presently, the
only transit service is bus service provided by the P&B bus line for
these communities. The majority of these drive-alone work trips end
up on Route 3 South and Route 3A, contributing to peak-period
travel congestion. Because Route 3 South serves many communities
and includes traffic from the Cape and the Islands, drive-alone work
trips significantly impact its congestion.
5.2 TRANSIT TRIPS
Figure 16 shows the transit work trips to the Boston urban core from
the southeastern Massachusetts communities. This figure shows
24
almost the opposite distributions of those in Figure 15. Nearly 40
percent of the work trips in the Boston urban core are by transit. In
southeastern Massachusetts, the communities that are served by
commuter rail also have high percentages of work trips to the Boston
urban core that use transit, while those without convenient access to
commuter rail and/or park-and-ride lots, particularly those along Route
3 South, Route 3A, and Route 24, have lower percentages of transit use.
Another important observation is the low percentage of transit share of
the work trips to the Boston urban core from the Fall River–New
Bedford–Cape Cod area. Implementation of the proposed extension of
the Stoughton commuter rail line to Fall River/New Bedford is expected
to change this pattern to a degree, as it would create new transit riders
diverted from nontransit modes, such as drive-alone and carpool and
vanpool work trips to the Boston urban core. Thus implementation of
this project has congestion reduction benefits for the Braintree split.
5.3 CARPOOL AND VANPOOL TRIPS
Carpooling and vanpooling are congestion reduction strategies and are
the only way to commute to the Boston urban core if one wishes to take
advantage of the HOV lane on the Southeast Expressway without using
bus transit. The percentage and number of carpoolers and vanpoolers in
the southeastern Massachusetts communities are shown in Figure 17
(page 24). The figure shows relatively high numbers of carpoolers and
vanpoolers from the South Shore and communities along Route 3 South.
In the Fall River–New Bedford area, carpooling and vanpooling seem to
be the preferred alternatives. Between 20 and 40 percent of people
employed in the Boston urban core who reside in that area carpool or
vanpool to work. By observation, areas with a high percentage of people
carpooling and vanpooling are those that are not served by commuter
rail, and where the only available service is bus transit. There are several
factors contributing to this high percentage, including the convenience
and flexibility offered by ridesharing, and the levels of service of other
transit modes, such as bus. These reasons were not investigated through
a survey, as they were beyond the scope of this study.
5.4 FUTURE TRAFFIC VOLUMES
The forecast horizon year for this study is 2025. The 2025 regional
model includes all the transit and highway projects in the MPO region
expected to have been completed by that year. It also accounts for the
effects of plans for land development and growth in employment,
number and size of households, and population. For this study, data on
these factors for 2025, developed by MAPC, was already available from
the regional planning model set. It was used to create 2025 regional trip
tables that consist of zone-to-zone trips.
Between 1992 and 2003, average weekday traffic on I-93 (between
Routes 24 and the Braintree split) increased by 14 percent; on Route 3
South by 15 percent; and on the Southeast Expressway, by 18 percent.
These increases represent a rate of about 1.2 to 1.3 percent per year.
The morning and afternoon peak-period traffic volumes presented in
Figures 4 and 5 (pages 11–12) indicate that between 6:00 and 9:00 AM
and 3:00 and 6:00 PM the volumes in the peak direction of travel remain
constant or decrease slightly due to traffic congestion.
The forecasted traffic volumes for 2025 indicate slower growth, partly
due to congestion and partly due to an increased transit share of the total
trips. The MBTA commuter rail ridership is predicted to increase by
about 45 percent between now and 2025.5 Its proposed Greenbush and
Fall River/New Bedford lines are expected to divert single-occupantvehicle work trips to the Boston urban core to transit trips.
As described earlier, this geographical distribution of jobs and
residences has resulted in peak-period traffic congestion on the
highways that connect the Boston urban core to southeastern
Massachusetts through the Braintree split. It has also resulted in the high
peak load on the commuter rail lines serving this area. It is expected that
this spatial imbalance will continue to overload the transportation
systems (highway and transit) serving these areas, if improvements are
not made.
The next two chapters describe the planned and proposed highway and
transit projects that might impact traffic flow through the Braintree split.
They include projects that are already under construction, already in the
Transportation Improvement Plan, or in planning stages.
Peak-period traffic demand on I-93 (between Route 24 and the Braintree
split) and on Route 3 South is expected to increase by 15 to 20 percent
between 2003 and 2025 and by 10 to 15 percent on the Southeast
Expressway in the same time period. These increases represent an
average growth rate of about 0.5 to 0.8 percent per year. Initially, the
current growth rate may continue, but it is expected to taper off in later
years. Given current peak-period traffic congestion, additional traffic
demand will most likely be experienced as an expansion of the duration
of the peak periods rather than as a significant increase in peak-hour
volumes.
5.5 SUMMARY
Both socioeconomic trends and travel patterns indicate future growth in
population, number of households, and jobs in both the Boston urban
core and in southeastern Massachusetts. While future growth in
population and households is more pronounced in southeastern
Massachusetts communities because of the affordable high quality of
life that its communities offer, future growth and concentration of jobs
will be more pronounced in the Boston urban core.
5
Produced by the Central Transportation Planning Staff for the Massachusetts Bay
Transportation Authority, Program for Mass Transportation, May 2003, Revised
January 2004, p. ES-2.
25
6 PLANNED AND PROPOSED IMPROVEMENTS
6.1 TRANSIT
6.1.2 Service Enhancement Projects
The transit projects that are described in this chapter are service
enhancement and system expansion projects that are in the MBTA’s
Program for Mass Transportation (PMT) and 2004 Service Plan.6 The
PMT is a central element of capital planning at the MBTA and is the
foundation for transit infrastructure planning and programming in
Eastern Massachusetts. The PMT defines a vision for regional mass
transportation and sets priorities for infrastructure investments in the
areas of system preservation, service enhancement, and system
expansion without financial constraints.
The following are the MBTA service enhancement projects that are
rated high or medium priority. They are summarized in Table 5,
which gives the status of each project and funding.
System preservation projects are projects aimed at keeping the
MBTA’s system in a state of optimal repair. Service enhancements
projects are projects that would improve the service already in
operation. System expansion projects are projects that would extend a
transit line to an area that is not currently served, implement a service
on an existing line that is not currently provided, or change the mode
of transportation operating on an existing line. The system expansion
projects described below are shown in Figure 18.
Because the PMT contains many projects, only those projects that are
rated high or medium priority, are located in southeastern
Massachusetts, and might have an impact on traffic flow through the
Braintree split are discussed in this chapter. In addition, because the
2004 Service Plan contains service changes for all bus routes, only
the proposed changes that affect the buses that serve the Braintree
split area were considered.
6.1.1 Proposed Bus Service Changes
The MBTA reviews the level of usage of bus services every two years
and reallocates services based on consumer demand. In addition, new
bus routes and route restructuring are considered to provide better
service for the riding public. The 2004 Service Plan is complete, and
the MBTA Board of Directors approved it in September 2004. Service
changes were to be implemented in the spring and winter of 2005, and
the new Service Delivery Policy will be used in the development of the
2006 Service Plan. The recommended changes that affect services in
the study area are listed in Table 4.
6
Produced by the Central Transportation Planning Staff for the Massachusetts Bay
Transportation Authority’s Program for Mass Transportation, May 2003, revised
January 2004, p. ES-1.
26
Signal and Train Control Improvements on the Red Line
This high-priority proposal calls for increasing peak capacity on the
Red Line by installing new-generation signal systems that will allow
for closer spacing between trains than the present system allows in
the shared segment of the two branches of the Red Line between
Alewife and Andrew stations. Applying the new technology could
allow train frequencies of every 2 minutes, instead of the current 3.5
minutes. Expanding the capacity of the Red Line through signal
improvements and expansion of the fleet is expected to add 9,700
new riders to the mode, of whom 3,400 would be new transit riders
who would be attracted from nontransit modes such drive-alone,
carpool and vanpool, and bicycle and motorcycle. Because of the
high number of new transit riders attracted, this improvement would
have a high impact on air quality. In addition, this project is expected
to reduce crowding, improve system reliability, and allow more
frequent service. This project is not programmed in the 2006–2010
Transportation Improvement Program (TIP).
Operate Eight-Car Trains (Red Line)
This medium-priority proposal calls for expanding capacity on the Red
Line by operating trains with a maximum train length of eight cars
during peak periods instead of the present maximum train length of six
cars. This proposal involves extending station platforms, excavating at
underground stations, expanding storage yards, expanding power
systems, modifying signal blocks, and purchasing additional rolling
stock. This project is expected to add 3,800 new riders to the mode, of
whom 1,000 would be new transit riders diverted from nontransit
modes. Because of the limited number of new transit riders attracted,
this project would have only a moderate impact on air quality. This
project is not programmed in the 2006–2010 TIP.
Access to Service (Parking and Pedestrian Access)
Automobile parking is a critical access mode for commuter rail,
which is the major transit system serving most of southeastern
Massachusetts communities. This project includes expanding parking,
installing bicycle racks, and improving pedestrian approaches to
MBTA parking lots. The current plans of the MBTA envision adding
over 9,500 parking spaces at various commuter rail and transit
stations throughout the region. The MBTA planned parking program
includes new parking spaces for the following rail lines in
southeastern Massachusetts:
Attleboro/Providence Commuter Rail:
930 spaces
Franklin Commuter Rail:
500 spaces
Middleborough/Lakeville Commuter Rail: 500 spaces
Plymouth/Kingston Commuter Rail:
550 spaces
Red Line:
1,928 spaces
Additional parking facilities will be constructed over the life of this
plan based on prioritization in the PMT. Table 6 shows the ratings of
parking enhancement projects in the PMT for commuter rail and Red
Line stations located in southeastern Massachusetts. In developing the
ratings, stations that lack the necessary elements for project
development, including availability of property for expansion and
community support, were given low-priority ratings. In addition,
stations where expansion was completed in the last 10 years or is
currently underway were also assigned a low-priority rating.
The MBTA anticipates using several funding sources for these
projects, including federal funds allocated to the MBTA; federal
funds allocated to other regional transit authorities for use on the
commuter rail system; and federally earmarked MBTA, local, private,
and state bond funds. The MPO estimates that 5 percent of the transit
funding for maintenance and improvement of the regional system will
be allocated to parking expansion and maintenance.
6.1.3 System Expansion Projects
Commuter Rail Branch from Old Colony Lines to Greenbush
This high-priority project, currently under construction, will restore
commuter rail service on a third branch of the Old Colony lines in
Braintree and would follow a combination of active and inactive
freight rail routes to the Greenbush section of Scituate. There will be
seven new stations, in Weymouth, Hingham, Cohasset, and Scituate.
The Greenbush Line is expected to add 11,400 riders to the mode, of
whom 4,600 would be new transit riders diverted from nontransit
modes. Because of the high number of new riders attracted, it would
have a high impact on travel time savings and moderate air quality
benefits. The funding sources for this project are MBTA Bond
Proceeds and PAYGO (Pay-As-You-Go financing).
Commuter Rail to New Bedford and Fall River
This high-priority project would extend commuter rail service from the
end of the Stoughton Line to New Bedford and Fall River via a
combination of inactive and active rail freight lines. There would be
seven new stations, in Easton, Raynham, Taunton, Freetown, Fall
River, and New Bedford. This project would attract the second largest
number of commuter rail riders and new transit users of all commuter
rail projects examined for the PMT. The New Bedford/Fall River Line
is expected to add 8,700 riders to the mode, of whom 7,100 would be
new transit riders diverted from nontransit modes. Because of the high
number of new riders attracted, it would have a high impact on
mobility and travel time savings. It is rated medium in costeffectiveness, air quality benefits, economic and land use impacts, and
environmental equity. Currently, this project is in planning stages and
has not been programmed in the 2006–2010 TIP. Funding sources for
this projects are yet to be determined.
Suburban Commuter Rail Feeder Bus Service
This high-priority project would implement new feeder bus services to
several suburban commuter rail stations that currently have no transit
service connections. An average of two vehicles would be needed to
operate peak-period service on each feeder route. Preliminary analysis
indicates that the promising new routes in southeastern Massachusetts
are:
•
•
•
From Foxboro to Sharon Station on the Attleboro Line.
From Hanover via Rockland to Abington Station on the
Kingston/Plymouth Line.
From South Duxbury via Pembroke to Hanson Station on the
Kingston/Plymouth Line.
Currently, this project is only a proposal and it has not been
programmed in the 2006–2010 TIP. Funding sources for this project
are yet to be determined.
27
TABLE 4
2004 Service Plan
Summary of Proposed Changes for Bus Routes Serving the Braintree Split Area
Extend Commuter Rail from Middleboro to Wareham
This medium-priority project would extend commuter rail along an
existing rail freight line from the end of the Middleborough/Lakeville
Line to Wareham. The extension to Wareham is expected to add 1,300
riders to the mode, of whom 420 would be new transit riders diverted
from nontransit modes. Wareham itself has very limited express bus
service to Boston, but communities south of the Cape Cod Canal, from
which the extension would draw riders, have frequent bus service
provided by the P&B bus line.
Bus Route
230
Montello Station–Quincy Center
230
Montello Station–Quincy Center
236
South Shore Plaza–Quincy Center
Day
Weekday
Sunday
Weekday
236
South Shore Plaza–Quincy Center
Saturday
238
Randolph–Quincy Center
Saturday
238
238
Randolph–Quincy Center
Randolph–Quincy Center
Improved Ferry Service from the South Shore to Boston
240
Randolph–Ashmont Station
This medium-priority project includes several elements that could be
implemented individually or together. The project would increase
service frequency on the existing Hingham and Quincy/Hull commuter
boat routes and would establish new routes to Boston from Cohasset
and Scituate. It would add new transit options for travel to Boston, but
would have to compete with other transit alternatives, including
commuter rail and combinations of bus and rapid transit. The project is
expected to add 800 new riders to the mode, of whom 270 would be
new public transportation riders diverted from nontransit modes. It is
rated medium in mobility and cost-effectiveness, and low economic
and land use impacts and air quality benefits. Currently, this project is
only a proposal and has not been programmed in the 2006–2010 TIP.
Funding sources for this project are yet to be determined.
240
245
246
Randolph–Ashmont Station
Mattapan–Quincy Center
Quincy Center–Quincy Medical Center
Sunday
Saturday/
Sunday
Weekday/
Saturday
Sunday
Weekday
Sunday
The project is rated high in mobility and medium in utilization, air
quality benefits, and economic and lands use impacts. It has a low
rating in cost-effectiveness, as its capital and operating costs per new
transit rider would be relatively high. Currently, this project is only a
proposal and has not been programmed in the 2006–2010 TIP.
Funding sources for this project are yet to be determined.
South Weymouth Naval Air Station Transit Access
Improvements
The primary benefit of this project is the facilitation of a significant
economic development opportunity related to reuse of the Naval Air
Station. The nearby communities are working with the MBTA to
explore several concepts for transit amenities. These include additional
parking at the South Weymouth commuter rail station and development
of a multimodal transit center linking rail and public and private bus
services in the region. Currently, this project is only a proposal and has
not been programmed in the 2006–2010 TIP. Funding sources for this
project are yet to be determined.
28
Description of Change
Eliminate 5:30 AM trip.
Add a 7:00 AM and an 11:00 PM trip.
Eliminate 3:20 PM southbound and 4:00 PM northbound trips; extend span to
8:20 PM.
Change the frequency of service from a bus every 60 minutes to a bus every 70
minutes to increase reliability, and add trips at 7:00, 8:00, and 9:00 AM and at
10:00 PM.
Eliminate Quincy Center–South Shore Plaza short trips. In addition, add one
early morning trip.
Eliminate last trip; create earlier first trip.
Create earlier first trip.
Allow customers to ride trips returning to garage from North Randolph to
Quincy Center Station.
Create earlier first trip.
Cancel late morning round trip. Add 7:00 PM trip.
Add new route serving Quincy Medical Center on Sundays to compensate for
change to Sunday routing on bus route #215
TABLE 5
Current Status of Proposed Transit Projects
Project Name
Signal and Train Control Improvements On The Red Line
Operate Eight-Car Trains (Red Line)
Access to Service (Parking and Pedestrian Access)
Commuter Rail Branch from Old Colony Lines to Greenbush
Commuter Rail to New Bedford and Fall River
Suburban Commuter Rail Feeder Bus Service
Extend Commuter Rail from Middleboro to Wareham
Improved Ferry Service from South Shore to Boston
South Weymouth Naval Air Station Transit Access
Improvements
Project Status
Proposal
Proposal
MBTA Planned
Parking Program
Under construction
In planning
Proposal
Proposal
Proposal
Proposal
2005–2009
TIP Status
Not programmed
Not programmed
Not applicable
Not programmed
Not programmed
Not programmed
Not programmed
Not programmed
Funding Sources
To be determined
To be determined
Several funding sources for
maintenance and improvement
MBTA Bond Process and PAYGO
To be determined
To be determined
To be determined
To be determined
To be determined
TABLE 6
MBTA Parking Enhancement Project Ratings in Southeastern Massachusetts
Key
= High rating; = Medium rating; = Low rating
Overall
Funding
Availability
Community
Support
Ease of
Construction
Environmental
Status
Cost/Parking
Space
Red Line/Commuter rail
Red Line/Commuter rail
Commuter rail
Commuter rail
Commuter rail
Commuter rail
Commuter rail
Commuter rail
Commuter rail
Commuter rail
Commuter rail
Commuter rail
Commuter rail
Commuter rail
Commuter rail
Commuter rail
Commuter rail
Commuter rail
Commuter rail
Commuter rail
Commuter rail
Commuter rail
Commuter rail
Commuter rail
Commuter rail
Commuter rail
Potential
Utilization
Quincy Adams
Braintree
Bridgewater
Forge Park
Franklin
Kingston
South Attleboro
Whitman
Abington
Attleboro
Hingham
Mansfield
Norfolk
South Weymouth
Walpole
Brockton
Campello
Canton Junction
Dedham Center
Holbrook
Middleboro
Montello
Norwood Center
Norwood Depot
Sharon
Stoughton
Project
Demand
Line
Land and
Air Rights
Station
Customer
Access
Project Criteria
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
Note
* Individual-criterion ratings were not applied to stations where parking facilities are currently being expanded or are planned for expansion, or where substantial community opposition
exists to potential expansion projects.
The MBTA already has in place a process to analyze the large number of parking projects under consideration. This process was used by the PMT in prioritizing new parking needs. The
evaluation criteria include:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Customer Access—Quality of automobile access to station parking lot from major arterial roadways.
Land/Air Rights—MBTA ownership of (access to) land/air rights for expansion of the parking facility.
Projected Demand—Magnitude of expected future demand for parking at the station.
Potential Utilization—Ability of potential parking expansion to meet the needs of projected demand.
Cost per Parking Space—Expected cost per parking space, either in surface lot or garage.
Environmental Status—Barriers to parking expansion resulting from existing environmental issues.
Ease of Construction—Barriers to parking expansion resulting from space constraints, land acquisition issues, challenging terrain, etc.
Community Support—Level of Support demonstrated by local and/or regional officials and community groups for expansion of the parking facility.
Funding Availability—Availability of non-MBTA funding sources for expansion of the parking facility.
29
6.2 HIGHWAYS
The 2006–2010 TIP was reviewed to identify planned and approved
highway projects that might affect traffic operations at the Braintree
split. In consultation with MassHighway, major highway projects in
the study area that are in the planning stages and might have not been
on the TIP were also identified. These projects, shown in Figure 19,
are described below. They are also summarized in Table 7, which
gives the status of each project and funding.
6.2.1 Burgin Parkway Viaduct in Quincy
This project will create new ramps at the Route 3/Burgin Parkway
interchange. An overpass will be constructed for the Burgin Parkway
southbound traffic (heading toward Route 3) over Centre Street.
Beginning on Burgin Parkway just south of Penn Street, the
outbound roadway will split. Southbound traffic staying left will
continue to the existing at-grade intersection at Centre Street. Traffic
bearing right and continuing south along Burgin Parkway will pass
over Centre Street en route to the Route 3/Route 128/1-93 ramp
system. The overpass will provide two travel lanes; it will then merge
with the existing viaduct that carries traffic soutbound from the
Quincy Adams MBTA station.
A new ramp will carry traffic away from Centre Street to 1-93
northbound and southbound from Crown Colony Drive, where it
intersects with Congress Street. The ramp will join the southbound
flow from Burgin Parkway downstream of the MBTA ramp and the
Burgin Parkway merge location. Traffic using the ramp from
Congress Street will not be required to weave with other traffic using
Burgin Parkway, thus minimizing traffic weaving on the Route 128/I93 ramps. A channelized ramp will be contructed to allow northbound
Crown Colony Drive traffic to bypass the Crown Colony
Drive/Centre Street and Burgin Parkway/Centre Street intersections
and to connect Crown Colony Drive with southbound Burgin
Parkway ramps.
This project will improve access to the Crown Colony development
area by providing a new overpass, described above, that minimizes
conflicts for the highest-volume traffic movements through the
Burgin Parkway/Centre Street intersection: the northbound left-turn
movement from the Route 3 ramps onto Centre Street and the
southbound movement from Burgin Parkway to Routes 3 and 128
and 1-93. It will also improve the level of service for the weave
30
mentioned above during both peak periods. This project will be
constructed with Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality
Improvements fund and is programmed in the 2006–2010 TIP.
6.2.2 Improvements near the I-93 and Route 37
Interchange in Braintree
This project will create an extension of the existing I-93 northbound
off-ramp to Route 37 (Granite Street) by constructing a new
distributor road paralleling I-93 and connecting the off-ramp to
Granite Street. The distributor road will begin as an off-ramp on I-93
northbound midway between Routes 28 and 37. A new ramp will
connect the distributor road to Forbes Road. The improvements will
also include a connection from Brooks Drive to Forbes Road in order
to facilitate circulation and access to businesses and residences in the
area.
This project will improve access to the Route 37 development area.
The northbound on-ramp services 1,200 vehicles per hour during the
AM and PM peak periods, with traffic queues sometimes extending
onto the freeway. The distributor roadway will create more storage
room for the exiting traffic destined to Route 37 and minimize traffic
queues that interrupt flow on the freeway, thus improving safety. The
project will reduce the off-ramp traffic volumes at Route 37, as
traffic destined to developments on Forbes Road from I-93 would
now arrive there directly from the proposed collector/distributor road.
This project is not programmed in the 2006–2010 TIP.
6.2.3 South Weymouth Naval Air Station Access
Improvements
The primary benefit of this project is the facilitation of significant
economic development related to the reuse of the Naval Air Station.
To support this reuse, an ongoing Environmental Impact Review
(EIR) will include alternatives, such as new roadway connections
between the air station, Route 18, and Route 3; the construction of a
regional intermodal facility; and improved bicycle and pedestrian
connections. A connector road will provide a link to Route 18 and to
an alternative access route to the redevelopment site and the South
Weymouth commuter rail station on the Plymouth Line, which is
located on Route 18. The projects identified in the final EIR will be
considered for funding as part of the Regional Transportation Plan.
Some of the planned access improvement projects have been
programmed in the 2006–2010 TIP, as shown in Table 7.
6.2.4 Route 3 South Transportation Improvement Project
The project will widen Route 3 South from two lanes in each
direction to three lanes in each direction from Weymouth
(interchange 16 at Route 18) to Duxbury (interchange 11 at Route
14). Congestion has increased to the point that the State Police,
MassHighway, and the Federal Highway Administration agreed to
allow the use of the breakdown lane as a travel lane during peak
periods. The project will restore the shoulder breakdown lanes,
provide safety recovery zones, and will upgrade interchange
acceleration and deceleration lanes. The project also involves design
configuration improvements at the interchange ramps at interchange
12 (Route 139 in Pembroke); related intersection improvements at
highway ramps at interchanges 11, 12, 13, and 15; and upgrades and
expansions of the park-and-ride lots at interchanges 12 and 14. This
project is not programmed in the 2006–2010 TIP.
The next chapter discusses additional improvements considered to be
necessary at the Braintree split, haven taken into consideration the
planned and proposed highway and transit projects in the area that
may impact traffic flow through the split. The additional
improvements are operational improvements that will improve safety
and traffic flow through the split and will remove the bottlenecks
around the split that restrict traffic flow to and from it.
TABLE 7
Current Status of Proposed Highway Projects
Project Name
Burgin Parkway Viaduct in Quincy
Project ID
603391
Design Status
75%
2006–2010 TIP Status
Programmed, 2006
Cost
$18.0 million
Improvements Near the I-93 and Route 37 Interchange in Braintree
603134
25%
Not programmed
NA
Funding Sources
Congestion Mitigation and Air
Quality Improvement Program
To be determined
Route 3 South Transportation Improvement Project
NA
NA
Not programmed
NA
To be determined
South Weymouth Naval Air Station Access Improvements
Route 18 Right-of-Way
601630
Pre 25%
Programmed, 2007
$1.0 million
High-Priority Project
Route 18 Intersections
603161
75%
$3.4 million
State Transportation Program
Route 18
601630
Pre 25%
Programmed, 2005; to be
advertised in September 2005
Programmed, 2008
$14.0 million
State Transportation Program
East-West Parkway, Design
NA
Pre 25%
Programmed, 2006
$2.0 million
High-Priority Project
East-West Parkway, Permitting
NA
NA
Programmed, 2008
$3.0 million
High-Priority Project
NA = Not available
31
FIGURE 19
Planned and Proposed Highway Projects
N
93
Proposed Burgin Parkway Viaduct in Quincy
37
Construct an overpass over Centre Street for the Burgin Parkway southbound
traffic heading toward Route 3. Southbound traffic staying on the left will
continue to the Centre Street intersection. Traffic bearing right will continue
southbound on a new overpass to the Braintree split and Route 3.
Construct a new connector from Crown Colony Drive where it intersects with
Congress Street to carry traffic from the Crown Colony Office Park to the
Braintree split.
37
Construct a channelized ramp that will allow Crown Colony northbound
traffic to bypass the Centre Street intersection and connect with southbound
Burgin Parkway ramps.
ni
ra
G
Proposed Route 3 South Transportation Improvement Project
te
Widen Route 3 South from two lanes in each direction to three lanes in each
direction from Weymouth (interchange 16 at Route 18) to Duxbury
(interchange 11 at Route 14).
St
te
ou
(R
)
37
93
Restore shoulder breakdown lanes, provide safety recovery zones, and
upgrade interchange acceleration and deceleration lanes.
CINEMA
3
93
Improve the design configuration of interchange ramps and ramp-arterial
junctions.
93
Expand the park-and-ride lots at exits 12 and 14.
Route 18 Improvements as Part of the South
Weymouth Naval Air Base Access Improvements
Widen Route 18 from two to four lanes total (two lanes in each
direction) from Route 3 in Weymouth to Route 139 in Abington.
XX
Proposed Traffic Improvements near I-93 FIGURE
and Route
37 (Granite
Proposed Traffic Improvements Near the I-93 and
Street) Interchange in Braintree
Route 37 (Granite Street) Interchange
Extend the existing I-93 northbound off-ramp to Granite Street through
the construction a new distributor road.
Construct a new ramp from the proposed distributor roadway to access
Forbes Road.
Construct a connector between Brooks Drive and Forbes Road.
18